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US national debt surges past $39 trillion just weeks into war in Iran 03/18/2026 07:47pm • WASHINGTON (AP) — The national debt surpassed a record $39 trillion on Wednesday, a milestone that comes just weeks into the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. The unprecedented figure highlights competing administration priorities, from passing a massive tax law and boosting defense spending and immigrati Rhode Island high school hockey team rallies to championship after fatal ice rink shooting 03/18/2026 07:43pm • PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — As Colin Dorgan stood before a deafening crowd exploding in pride for his high school hockey team's championship win, secured by a goal in an exhausting yet exhilarating quadruple overtime, three seats were noticeably empty in the Rhode Island arena. The high school senior' Luigi Mangione's lawyers seek to delay his state and federal trials 03/18/2026 07:42pm • NEW YORK (AP) — Luigi Mangione 's lawyers asked a judge on Wednesday to postpone his federal trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson until early next year and said they will seek to have his state murder trial delayed until September. In a letter to U.S. District Judge Marga Gov. JB Pritzker criticizes AIPAC after pro-Israel group spent heavily in Illinois primary 03/18/2026 07:41pm • CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday condemned special interest money that poured into the state ahead of this week's primary, including from a pro-Israel political group that the billionaire and potential 2028 presidential contender once supported. Pritzker, a Jewish Democrat wh Domestic incident led to a shooting that left 1 dead and 1 hurt at Air Force base, military says 03/18/2026 07:31pm • ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — A shooting that left one person dead and another injured on a U.S. Air Force base in New Mexico was the result of an isolated domestic dispute, military officials said Wednesday. The shooting Tuesday evening injured an active duty service member stationed at Holloman Air Fo Venezuela’s acting president names new defense chief to replace longtime Maduro loyalist 03/18/2026 07:29pm • CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced a major Cabinet shake-up Wednesday with the appointment of a new defense minister to replace Gen. Vladimir Padrino López, who had been a cornerstone of the military’s long-standing support for former President Nic One 'freaking snake' and no apologies: How the Mullin hearing went off the rails 03/18/2026 07:27pm • WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman opened the hearing with a provocative dare: Say it to my face. Sen. Rand Paul, the Republican from Kentucky, has made clear he has little regard for President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, fellow Republican Sen. Markwayne Mulli It's a High Point family affair for the Claymans in the NCAA Tournament 03/18/2026 07:24pm • High Point coach Flynn Clayman is navigating the NCAA Tournament with his wife Katie Clayman, an assistant with the Panthers women, who are also tournament bound. They're also juggling parenting duties for 19-month old son, Quinn. The No. 12 seed High Point men (30-4) play fifth-seeded Wisconsin ( NFL will consider a rule change allowing draft pick trades up to 5 years in the future 03/18/2026 07:23pm • The Cleveland Browns are proposing a rule change that would allow NFL teams to trade draft picks five years into the future instead of three. The league announced on Wednesday that only two teams submitted proposals that will be considered by owners at the league meetings later this month with the o Champions League: Barcelona scores 7, Liverpool revives, Bayern cruises and Atletico survives 03/18/2026 07:20pm • Barcelona scored seven and Liverpool revived its season with four goals to flip tight Champions League games Wednesday into big wins sending them to the quarterfinals. Atletico Madrid survived a pulsating Tottenham fightback to make it Spain 3, England 0 in round-of-16 clashes this week. Bayern Muni Gonzaga is back in the NCAA Tournament, still searching for that elusive championship 03/18/2026 07:19pm • PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — In a season of highs and a few lows, Gonzaga is back in the NCAA Tournament and still looking for that elusive title game breakthrough. The Bulldogs (30-3) are riding 27 straight tournament appearances. They've twice made it to the national championship game — in 2017 and Premier League teams dominated the first phase of the Champions League. Now only 2 are standing 03/18/2026 07:07pm • Eight goals let in by Newcastle. Eight more by Chelsea. Tottenham gave up seven, and Manchester City allowed five. So much for English dominance in the Champions League this season. The goals rained in against Premier League clubs, which went from setting the standard in the league phase to largely Air Force hires Penn State assistant Joe Crispin as men's basketball coach 03/18/2026 07:04pm • AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) — Air Force hired Penn State assistant Joe Crispin on Wednesday as the men's head basketball coach. Crispin inherits the program from Joe Scott, who mutually parted ways with the Falcons last month after he was suspended pending an investigation into his treatment of Bondi gives ousted interim US attorney new title, allows him to keep job in Wisconsin 03/18/2026 07:02pm • MADISON, Wis. (AP) — U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is allowing an ousted interim federal prosecutor to continue overseeing cases in Wisconsin with a new title in what's becoming a familiar move in federal judicial districts across the nation as Democrats in the U.S. Senate delay confirmation vot Nvidia’s DLSS 5 is the (glossy) subject of memes and backlash from gamers 03/18/2026 07:02pm • Upgraded graphics in video games sound like they would be popular amongst players and enthusiasts, but Nvidia is finding that the opposite appears to be true with its latest tech. The company announced at a conference Monday that the new version of its artificial intelligence technology designed to